New Orleans man booked with rape, intimidation of victim

Police said the suspect tried to persuade victim to drop charges in monitored telephone calls from jail.

A New Orleans man arrested earlier this week on a charge of rape was rebooked Wednesday for allegedly trying to intimidate the victim. Investigators with the Gretna Police discovered the threats while monitoring telephone calls made by Desmond Batom, 32, to the victim, according to arrest reports.

Desmond Batom, 32, is accused of trying to intimidate the witness in a rape case.JPSO

Police first took Batom into custody early Monday morning when officers responded to reports of a disturbance at a residence in the 2400 block of Stafford Street in Gretna, an arrest report said. The victim, Batom's girlfriend of more than two years, told officers he had come home, pulled her out of bed by her hair, punched her in the face and forced himself on her, the report said.

Batom was caught a short time later. He admitted to hitting the victim, but denied any sexual assault, the report said.

He was booked at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Monday with forcible rape and domestic abuse-strangulation. Bond was set at $80,000. But he was also being held without bond for probation violation.

In a monitored telephone call from the jail on Monday, Batom allegedly told the victim "B*tch, you think I'm playing with you? I'm telling you, you better come tell these people that this sh*t ain't real. You need to get you're a** down here and make this sh*t disappear," the arrest report said.

In another conversation, Batom allegedly told the victim, "You're gonna take your lick, I can tell you that," the report said. At some point this week, Batom learned that an order of protection had been issued, barring him from contacting the victim. But authorities said he continued to call her and try to persuade her to drop the charges.